Review: Penelope’s Daughter by Lauren Corona
Reviewed by Coy M.
In a time when the men were off fighting the Trojan War and women were known as either troublemakers or threats, as written in The Odyssey, comes a girl that even Homer himself didn’t know about. Odysseus’ daughter.
Xanthe was born two years after Telemachus and mere months after Odysseus’ departure for the War. Xanthe grows up in a fatherless world, where suitors hound every inch of their home, and her mother is too busy coming up with ways to take control of her land. Even long after the war has ended, there is no sign of Odysseus; the suitors are quick to realize that if Telemachus is killed and Penelope is taken out of the way, the husband of Xanthe will become the inheritor of Odysseus’ lands.
To protect her daughter, Penelope decides to fake Xanthe’s death and sends her off to live with her cousin, Helen of Troy. At first, Xanthe blames Helen for being the cause of the War, but as she meets the beautiful and eccentric woman, she learns that Helen too was a victim of Aphrodite’s tricks and Xanthe comes to love her as a second mother.
Xanthe spends five years in Sparta and becomes fond of her life there, and returns to Ithaca with great reluctance. There, she is thought to be Telemachus’ cousin and is hidden out of the way. But one day, an old man arrives in Ithaca and Xanthe finds her life in an uproar as the old man is revealed to be her father. After getting rid of the suitors, Odysseus is reunited with his land, wife, son and a daughter he never [amazonify]0425236625[/amazonify]knew about. As the family is brought back together, Xanthe’s future is thrust in the hands of a man who is practically a stranger and she finds herself yearning for the lover she left in Sparta. Will her father force Xanthe to marry a suitor she doesn’t love or respect or will she finally find herself in the arms of the one she’s meant to be with?
I am not a big fan of Homer’s portrayal of women, so this book was definitely a nice fit for me. Laurel Corona’s idea is original, fresh and depicted so beautifully that it literally takes the readers’ breath away. Combining romance, action and adventure, Penelope’s Daughter is a wonderful book crafted a talent that almost anyone would enjoy!
Coy M. is pursuing a degree in writing, which is a great passion of hers. She also enjoys traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
This book was provided free of any obligation by Berkley Trade. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.
Category: For Fans of Historical Fictions, Genre Fiction, Gift Ideas, Historical, Literature & Fiction
Thanks to all of you for your support. I hope you enjoy Penelope’s Daughter!
I REALLY enjoyed the book! Wonderful work. I am impressed by the research you must have done for this book to be a success…as it has turned out to be!
I am not familiar with Homer’s portrayal of women-I recently read a book that made several references to The Odyssey-which has piqued my interest in reading. This would be a good compliment. GIven that Homer portrayed women as troublemakers-or a threat is their any documentation of this for this time period-was this a perceived threat or actual threat.
I have read both the Iliad and the Odyssey. I enjoyed the beautiful language (the wine dark sea)but women are pretty much ignored in the Iliad. I am really looking forward to reading this book. I is on my list too.
CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com
I found out when I checked Amazon that I had bought this book back when I posted so now I am really looking forward to reading it. I am more eager than ever to read it.
Carol Wong
I first saw a review for this at Passages to the Past, and now with the addition of another review, I. Must. Read. This! Sounds amazing … I love mythic retellings, and consider Homer’s epics to be myth (of sorts) … Plus, it just flat-out sounds intriguing
This seems to be a very fresh and unique take on the Oddysseus story. I have not read the Iliad or the Odyssey, but I do think I would enjoy this perspective. I read a review of the book on another website and have since added it to my wishlist.